The Via Aurelia was an ancient Roman road that was built between Rome and Pisa around the year 241BC. It connected up with other major roads of the time including Via Appia which led from Rome to Apulia and Via Aemilia Scaura which led from Pisa to Genoa.
Stay in a gorgeous holiday rental in the Rome area and enjoy a day or two of walking along this intriguing ancient route!
Via Aurelia (as marked in yellow) made up a network of important roads that served the needs of the expanding Roman Empire. Armies could move quickly towards where they were needed and messages could be sent reasonably quickly to Roman colonies across Italy.
Stay in a gorgeous holiday rental in the Rome area and enjoy a day or two of walking along this intriguing ancient route!
Via Aurelia (as marked in yellow) made up a network of important roads that served the needs of the expanding Roman Empire. Armies could move quickly towards where they were needed and messages could be sent reasonably quickly to Roman colonies across Italy.
Via Aurelia, like other Roman roads at the time was paved at a width of approximately 4.6 metres to easily allow standard size chariots to pass each other comfortably and its distance could be measured by milestones along the way.
Cleverly, the Romans ensured that every 15 miles or so along Via Aurelia a ‘statio’ would be constructed to provide travellers with food, shelter, stables and a means to buy horses or other travel equipment for their journey.
Many towns across Europe developed from these ‘statio’ concepts.
Cleverly, the Romans ensured that every 15 miles or so along Via Aurelia a ‘statio’ would be constructed to provide travellers with food, shelter, stables and a means to buy horses or other travel equipment for their journey.
Many towns across Europe developed from these ‘statio’ concepts.
A quaint Italian example of a ‘statio turned town’ is the village of Palidoro along Via Aurelia in Latium. Parts of Via Aurelia remain extremely well preserved to this day and can be driven or walked along.
Go on a walking holiday along some of the enchanting old pathways in Italy including the pilgrim route called Via Francigena and Via Clodia in Tuscany.
Stay in a fabulous villa with pool in Latium or a vacation rental on the Tuscan coast and experience the very finest scenery and culture this country has to offer!
Go on a walking holiday along some of the enchanting old pathways in Italy including the pilgrim route called Via Francigena and Via Clodia in Tuscany.
Stay in a fabulous villa with pool in Latium or a vacation rental on the Tuscan coast and experience the very finest scenery and culture this country has to offer!
Photo credits
picture 1: Archeo / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 2: Longbow4u / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 1: Archeo / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 2: Longbow4u / CC BY-SA 3.0;